The Spirit Shifter
by MoonEmpress882
Summary: Five years following the beginning of the series, Koenma calls for an emergency meeting. Two of the members are busy with college and Yusuke has continued his work as Spirit Detective. What sort of conflict is brewing now that everyone has established steady lives for themselves? Please R&R.
1. Prologue: The Infant

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu Yu Hakusho characters, except for the characters I have made up.**

Spirit Shifters are a particular breed of demon that has always been treated as the vermin of demon-kind. They are cunning tricksters who are capable of molding themselves into whatever they desire: other demons, animals… humans. In addition, the abilities of whatever they change into are enhanced a hundredfold. However, the ability to change forms is looked down on by the rest of the demonic community. It is shameful to be born a Spirit Shifter, to be able to do nothing more than mimic another's shape. Yet, it is this life that was chosen for Ayame.

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It was a particularly cold night in the dead of winter this year. It was not yet snowing, but a blizzard threatened to break out at any given minute. The thick, puffy clouds hung low over the mountains whose pointed tops looked as if they could pop the clouds.

A woman clothed only in a long black cloak stumbled into a small, rural town whose name she didn't care to learn. She walked hunched over a small bundle cradled carefully in both her arms and wrapped in several blankets; at a glance, one might have assumed it was her own clothing. Her bare feet made no noise on the grass which was kinder to her feet than the rough asphalt of the road. She pulled the bundle closer to her chest and sheltered it with her cloak as a gust of wind brought the first snowfall of the night.

As the wind died down, snow began to fall more steadily around her. She glanced over her shoulder into the darkness nervously, as if expecting someone to jump her at any moment. In fact, she was indeed afraid that she had been followed. She continued forward, looking over her shoulder every few steps and jumping at any sound of cracking wood or crunching snow. In between glances, she would look ahead at the houses lined neatly along the street around her. Upon first entering the town, the houses were spread wide and it would take several minutes until she reached the next. But, as she walked on, she found that eventually the houses formed a cozy little neighborhood in the side of the mountain where they had been built.

Finally, the woman seemed to come to a decision and walked up to the nearest house. It was a very modest looking house and with only one floor and a small yard, it was perfect. No lights were on inside or outside the house as she crept up the porch. The wooden steps creaked lightly as she made her way up, but no one stirred. She made her way to the door and laid the bundle of cloth she had been cradling on the doormat. From a hole in the cloth, one could make out the pale face of a child. She kissed the babe on its forehead and pulled the edges of the blanket tighter around its face. All the while, it made no sound and watched her in silence. The woman kissed her infant one more time and stood up, shaking. The time had come for her to give up her child and while she didn't like to do so, she knew it was for her daughter's sake. The woman took one more, long look at her child before pounding loudly on the front door and taking off, silently, into the night.

Less than a minute later, a man who looked to be in his late twenties came to the door. He looked alarmed at having been awakened at such an hour, and even more alarmed that a baby lay on his doormat. He knelt down and picked up the baby gently, cradling it very carefully in his arms. He looked around for its mother, or father; whoever left their child on his doorstep. Finding no one nearby, he called into his house for his wife.

"Sawako! Sawako, come quick!" A woman came rushing to the front door in her pajamas. She gasped as she realized the bundle in her husband's arms was a baby.

"Takeda! Where could she have come from?" The woman whose name was Sawako seemed excited.

"Whoever left her here is gone, didn't even leave a note." The man, Takeda, paused as he looked over the child, looking for any scratches or bruises. But the infant was unharmed. "We need to get her inside, there is a blizzard coming and an infant will not live very long out here. We will search for her parents tomorrow." Takeda paused as he toyed with another possibility in his mind. "Sawako, what if this is a blessing? We have not been able to conceive a child."

Sawako paused, lost in her own thoughts. "If she has no home, will we raise her?" She looked at her husband, pleadingly.

"We will" was all that the man said as the two walked back into their home.

A short distance away, a stray dog had been watching the couple from under the neighboring porch. It growled in approval and dashed out from under the porch at a sprint, making its way out of the town. Once it was a safe distance away from any other houses, it jumped into the air. At the height of its jump, its shape began to change. Its whole body became small and its front legs bent back into wings while its back legs curled up into talons. A raven now hung where the dog had been. It pumped its wings as it took flight. Away from the town it soared. She had to get as far from it as she could, to protect the child she had abandoned. It could not know what it was, or what was hunter them both. So to protect the infant, she must get far away from there and sever all ties to her. Even if she died now, she would die knowing her daughter was safe. That was the dream she and her husband had had for their child, but he died so that they could get away. She was happy now, even if she didn't have her daughter, she knew her child was safe.


	2. Ayame Yamamoto

Before I continue the story, I need to take note of a few things for the reader. First of all, the prologue was meant to set up the story so I apologize to those of you expecting to see the main characters right away. Secondly, as you will find out, my main character falls into the same age group as the main characters, so this chapter will start off with "19 years later…" Finally, I will title this chapter "Chapter 2" (maybe not literally chapter 2, but it will be treated as chapter 2) in order to prevent confusion when readers are scanning through chapters. That is, there is no official "Chapter 1", but the story hasn't skipped forward at all so treat the Prologue as Chapter 1... In other words, Chapter 1 is the prologue and chapter 2 is where the story really begins to take off.

One final note, I am using this chapter to introduce Ayame's character, her personality. The events that transpire aren't quite related to the overall plot, but they are to give you as the reader a look into her mind. Remember the line "[Spirit Shifters] are cunning tricksters" (from the prologue introduction) as you read this, because Ayame isn't supposed to be what she appears on the surface... I'm thinking about putting up a profile for my main OCs in my own profile page, check there for a more detailed profile of Ayame at a later time.

Once again, **Disclaimer: I own no Yu Yu Hakusho characters. Ayame, Sawako, and Takeda are my creations thus far. As the story goes on and more characters are introduced, I will add them to my little list. **

*********

Nineteen years later…

Finally, a new start for Ayame Yamamoto. Years of being smothered, years of being watched by her overprotective parents were now behind her. She had reached the age of adulthood and with it came independence. It had taken a great deal of effort to convince them that it was in her best interest to continue her schooling, that college was the best place for her. And now, after all that packing and all that preparation, she had made it.

She now stood in her new apartment; boxes of her belongings cluttering the floor. She'd get to unpacking later, she decided. She was far too excited to stick around in her lonely apartment for very long. She had her campus to check out and the city to explore. The only glimpses she had had of the city life were the commutes to and from school each day as she grew up. She had lived outside the city where she now owned an apartment, in the spacious, rural neighborhoods. It felt entirely different, and she couldn't have enjoyed it more.

Not quite sure where to begin her adventure, Ayame stepped outside to survey her surroundings. She was on the third floor of her complex, giving her a decent view of the streets. All along the street below her, she could see a mix of family-owned restaurants, clothing and department stores, and offices rising up into the main part of the city; beyond that lay Nagano University where she would be attending. After a few moments lost in thought, she turned around and walked back into her complex. For the move, she had worn loose fitting clothing. But for the town, she would wear something a little flirty. Digging through her boxes, she pulled out a blue halter top to be worn over a white tank top and denim shorts. Once changed, she looked over herself in the mirror, running her hands through her brown hair. Everything about her was normal, except her eyes. She had never met another human with eyes like gold, but hers were. Hazel was not the word to describe them; they were truly golden, mysterious and alluring and although they were so different from everyone else's she enjoyed the distinction.

By now, the late afternoon was quickly turning into evening and she couldn't wait to head out. Putting on a pair of silver high heels, Ayame headed for the front door. She turned on the outside lights then stepped out and locked the front door as would become her routine. She descended the staircase and walked out into the street. _Now… Where should I start?_ As if to answer herself, her stomach growled loudly. She smiled and looked around for a restaurant. The first place that caught her eye was a small family-owned restaurant just down the street from her apartment. Deciding that she ought to get to know her new neighbors, Ayame walked the short distance and entered.

"Take a seat wherever ya want." Came a rough voice from behind the counter. "I'll be right with ye." The man seemed rather small and had short black hair with sideburns and as he took care of his other customer, Ayame took a seat at the counter.

She hadn't been looking at a menu for very long when a girl her own age stopped in front of her. "Sorry about my dad, he doesn't take his work too seriously. I'm always having to keep him on his toes. My name's Keiko and I'll take your order if you're ready." The girl was also pretty small and had short brown hair, much like Ayame's, although her eyes were brown. Before Ayame had a chance to say anything in reply, the girl spoke again "I haven't seen you around here and our crowd is usually full of the same people… Are you new around here by any chance?"

Ayame smiled as she spoke, "Yeah, just moved in this afternoon. I'll be attending Nagano University. The name's Ayame." She bowed her head in greeting and Keiko mirrored the gesture although as Ayame spoke of her school, Keiko's eyes lit up. "I hope you don't mind my nosing but, you seem rather young to be working here."

"Well, my dad's the only one taking care of me now and I've decided to stay around and help him with the family business… You said you're attending Nagano University? I studied for a long time to get in; I'll also be taking classes there next week! I know a couple other friends who are attending. One is a couple years older than me and I went to Junior and Senior High School with the other."

"I take it you've lived here for a long time then, huh?"

Keiko nodded. "Mhmm! As long as I can remember. How about you, where do you come from?"

"Actually I lived in a rural area outside this city for my whole life. I was the top student in my class and managed to convince my parents to let me attend the University here." Ayame always felt proud that she had top marks in her classes but as she spoke she was afraid she came off a little too proud. She was relieved, however, with Keiko's enthusiastic response.

"I was also top in my class! It was always hard for people to believe that I could even stand in the same room as Yusuke let alone like the boy…" Keiko seemed to trail off at the mention of this Yusuke kid.

"Is this… Yusuke your boyfriend?" Ayame hoped her question wasn't too bold, but once again Keiko was all too happy to respond, blushing of course.

"Well, sort of. He's very busy all the time and always off somewhere on some sort of mission… I mean, he does research work and he's always away on some kind of trip is all." _Mission?_ Ayame wondered what the girl could have meant by that. She grew even more suspicious as Keiko once again asked for her order, but didn't press the subject.

"I'll just have a glass of water to drink. Oh, and d'ya got any tonkatsu? It's always been my favorite dish and I'm determined to find the best in the city!" Keiko seemed too grateful for the change of subject, but resumed her cheerful demeanor with the new topic.

"We've got the BEST tonkatsu in the city! You won't find a better chef than my dad." She stepped away for a moment to pour Ayame a glass of iced water and returned with her drink. "I'll put your order in right away, I don't want to keep you waiting. But hey, if you want to talk I live upstairs of this restaurant. So if you'll be in the neighborhood, go ahead and stop by!"

Ayame grinned, she liked this girl a lot despite the fact Keiko had obviously lied about this Yusuke. As curious as she was however, she knew bringing up the topic would only make things awkward again. Any details would be revealed if it was any of her business. Regardless, Ayame resolved to come back to the restaurant; Keiko was such a sweet girl and Ayame wanted to get to know her a little better. "I will, Keiko. I live in the apartment complex just down the street on the third floor. Feel free to stop by if you ever want to." Keiko smiled at the invitation and walked away to deliver the order to her father.

It wasn't much longer until she came back, serving up a nice big plate of fried pork with rice and miso soup. "Dig in!" And as Ayame did so, she knew Keiko hadn't lied about it being some of the best tonkatsu around. It was better than homemade! Everything was gone in a matter of minutes and Ayame sighed as she downed the last gulp of soup and leaned back in her seat.

"I'm coming back here quite often." She promised as she dug some money out of her purse.

"Hey! Neighbors don't pay!" Keiko's father had yelled across the restaurant in his rough voice.

Ayame grinned widely at the man; she was beginning to like this family very much. "How about tipping?"

"Sure, that's acceptable." He smiled back at Ayame as she left a very generous tip at her table.

"Sir, that's the best food I've had since… well I've never had cooking quite like that. I promise I'll at least stop by to say 'hello'."

"With an appetite like that, you're more than welcome here." His reply was comical, yet warm. She bowed to both Keiko and her father as she backed out of the door, then waved her good-bye when she noticed the other two had waved rather than bowing back.

*********

After her dinner, Ayame had decided to make a trip deeper into the city. She visited multiple department stores and boutiques, jewelry stores, clothing and book stores. Everything here was vastly different from the small shops she was used to, but she enjoyed it all; so much in fact that it was nearing midnight by the time she finally decided to head back to her apartment.

As she walked home, she whistled a cheery tune, almost oblivious to the multiple sets of footsteps now following her. As she made her way home, she took several turns... Left, right, left, right, right, left, right... Where was she now? She had turned into an alley that led straight through to a darkened park ahead of her. She didn't remember this... _Hm... Must've taken a wrong turn back at that Sushi bar..._ She turned around to backtrack only to face a gang of large, yet stupid looking, men. Ayame's eyes widened in fright and nervously she began to back up into the open park behind her.

"C'mere meh pretty..." The one who spoke was a young man, not much older than her and she assumed he was their leader. His voice was slurred and it was obvious that all five of them had been drinking. _A breeze could blow them over..._ She thought humorously, though she kept that nervous look on her face.

"You... you guys are drunk, you don't know what you're doing." She stammered, fear in her voice.

"That won' shtop ush from havin' a bit o' fun though will it?" Said a second, his voice was also very thick and slurred.

Ayame turned and sprinted into the wide open space of the park with the group of drunken men following. Once in the middle of the park she stopped, whirling around to face them. This time, however, she wore a large grin on her face. This was the sort of thing she missed most about her old life. Not the harassment, not the threat of being raped... But the fight. She never took fighting lessons, but she did take to it very well. She would pick fights outside of school and when she was in school, people were too afraid to speak ill of her because of both her skill and her brilliance. She never questioned how she came to be so skilled, she accepted it like anything else and she loved it.

The five men stopped, confused by their victim's new look. None of them could comprehend just what it meant, until Ayame dashed forward and sunk a powerful punch into their leader's stomach. She slid to a stop where the man had originally stood while the man himself flew back several yards. "You punks gonna fight me or am I just going to beat each and every one of you to a bloody pulp?" The sound of her voice seemed to wake the rest of the group, because they charged as a group at her. This did not discourage her, however, as she jumped headfirst into one's stomach, landed with her hands and pushed back off to kick one behind her. Both of them crumpled like their leader while the third attempted to throw a punch at the girl. Ayame side-stepped his punch and grabbed his arm, curling it up above and behind his head. With a loud crunch, his arm broke and she let him drop to the ground, unconscious.

As all of this was occurring, the fifth and most sober member of the group realized with horror that the girl had not been afraid, she had been playing them like the fools that they were. Ayame looked up from her fourth victim to the fifth man standing. Her golden eyes bore through him and suddenly he dropped to his knees, begging to be spared. "I haven't killed your friends, but maybe they've learned a lesson in courtesy." And with that, she made her way back home without any more trouble. However, during that whole brawl they had not been alone. A single set of red eyes watched her make her way home...


	3. A New Beginning

Now that the first two chapters have thoroughly set up the story for you, I do believe I can dive into the actual plot. I promise more Yu Yu Hakusho characters! From here on, the narration of the story will probably be shifting a lot from focusing on Ayame to Yusuke to Kurama to Koenma... You get the idea.

There is a character profile up for Ayame in my profile and details may be added as the story goes on. This is to avoid giving away spoilers as the story is being written.

I am also basing the University scenes off of a friend's experience, so what you read may not be consistent with ALL Universities, but some do operate in this manner.

By now I'd hope you'd be familiar with the disclaimer... but here it is just in case. **Disclaimer: I do not own any Yu Yu Hakusho characters except for the ones that I have made up. **

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The pair of red eyes that had witnessed the brawl in the park suddenly vanished once Ayame was out of sight only to reappear several blocks away at an empty train station in the form of a short, black-haired demon wrapped in a black cloak. In the evening, the train didn't run; but during the day the station would be packed with commuters. Tonight, however, there was the single demon and another red-haired human standing against the wall opposite him. The human was much different from the smaller demon; he was taller and had kind green eyes and a calm feel about him. The smaller demon, however, gave off an unwelcome feeling; he seemed very cold and uncaring.

"What did you discover about the demonic energy?" inquired the red-haired boy.

The black-haired demon responded, sounding arrogant and annoyed. "I found out its source, but it's nothing to worry about. It was a weak, human-looking demon. I couldn't tell what kind of demon from her appearance, her human guise was..."

Suddenly, the red-haired boy interrupted the demon, " 'her'? I didn't know our target would be female, Hiei."

"Yes, Kurama." Hiei replied irritably. "And as I was saying, _**her**_ guise was far too convincing; her demonic aura was sloppy. She obviously has no control over it or her power to let it pour out of her the way it has been since she got here." He paused to watch Kurama mull over the news. "I know what you're thinking, Kurama, and I can tell you this: you can't afford to let your morals get in the way. A swift decision is necessary in these situations and your sense of pity has only gotten in the way. Ever since you entered that human shell, you've become soft." Hiei's words were harsh as he spoke to his friend.

"It might do you some good to listen to your own sense of morals, Hiei." Kurama replied as he pushed himself up and off of the wall. "I've learned a lot about compassion and love from the humans as long as I've lived among them... It won't hurt you to let a little love into your life." Kurama turned to walk away and was almost out of view when he addressed Hiei once more. "We don't need to do anything about the girl right now. Koenma doesn't yet know about her and she hasn't caused any deaths thus far."

Hiei grunted his disapproval, but he had understood. He didn't take orders from anyone, but he respected his friend and would do as Kurama wished. For now, he resolved to watch her; not for the humans, but out of his own interest.

*********

Kurama and Hiei weren't the only two who had noticed Ayame's grand entrance. Another inhabitant of the city had sensed the sudden arrival of a demonic energy, one that was wild and uncontrolled. The young man who had noticed the influx of demon energy knelt over the side of one of the taller buildings. His hair was white and stood out sharply in the dark night. He wore a short-sleeved shirt with a mask around the lower half of his face that made his grey eyes stand out. Scars marred his face from countless battles in his lifetime and a sheath was attached, horizontally, to his lower back so that the hilt of a sword stuck out to his right.

He had felt the arrival of the energy, but whoever it belonged to was so careless, it couldn't have belonged to who he was looking for. He monitored the energy though, he wasn't going to completely discard the possibility that it was indeed who he was looking for. Nineteen years of searching, was it all about to come to an end?

The boy snapped himself out of his thoughts and resumed his vigil. There were other demonic energies in the city, he noticed. Both were much more powerful than the sloppy one that had just entered the city and they seemed much more likely to belong to the Shifter. Sure, they were vermin... But they weren't weak, and they certainly weren't stupid; but neither was he. Years of training told him to keep waiting and he was never wrong. His plan would draw the Shifter out eventually, and he knew what he had to do then.

The young man stepped down from the edge of the building and sat, he would call for the others later. No need to interrupt their searching if he was wrong... He would wait.

*********

The next week before Ayame's term began at Nagano University seemed to fly by. During the day, she spent her days either at the Yukimura restaurant or taking trips into the city; she had already figured out how to get to the University and sorted out her new term schedule. At night, she couldn't wait to start a fight. She was quickly building a reputation on the streets and she even noticed some punks eyeing her warily as she walked by during the day.

Before she knew it, however, it was the first day of classes and she was packing her bag to leave. Ayame was dressed in casual khaki pants, a white dress shirt, and black leather boots tucked under her pant legs. Ayame examined herself in the mirror for a moment, deciding her hair looked best while it was let loose.

Locking up behind her, she shifted her bag so that it hung off her right shoulder and made her way down the stairs. She and Keiko had agreed to meet up before heading out, so Ayame made her way down the street to the front of the Yukimura restaurant where Keiko stood waving to her friend. The girls greeted each other excitedly with tight hugs and began their walk to the University.

"I was hoping you could meet Kazuma and Suichi, but both of them were busy this morning. They said they'd meet us later." Keiko wouldn't stop talking about her friends whenever Ayame spent time at the restaurant. By now, Ayame could tell a stranger all of the quirks in Yusuke's personality, what Suichi's favorite flower was, and exactly what Hiei and Kazuma were like. Keiko even told Ayame about their pasts... _All except for Hiei, _Ayame noted. She wondered why this was but like the topic of Yusuke's job, she learned not to inquire.

"Kazuma... Didn't you say he also spent a year as a ronin?"

"Yeah, neither of us got into the University on our first try. Suichi's the only one who made it the first time." Keiko had told Ayame many times just how brilliant Suichi Minamino was. "Oh! I forgot to ask you what classes you're taking this term!"

"Aha! I knew we forgot something!" Ayame quickly shared her schedule with Keiko who took note of what classes they were taking together, looking very excited at their luck. They discovered that they shared three out of their six classes. "Looks like... our second, third, and fifth classes are together. AND we have lunch between second and third!"

They spent the rest of their trip talking very excitedly as they made their way to the University. When they reached the campus, they grew quiet and walked inside. They quickly said their good-byes and made headed to their first class. Ayame felt extremely nervous about the experience. _Keep it cool, Ayame! You've dealt with worse. _She shook her head to clear it as she took a seat toward the front of the class. **Maybe you've dealt with more physically demanding situations, but this is going to be mentally challenging... This isn't a fight.** Just as she was about to take her seat, a professor walked in and the class immediately stood up.

"You may all sit." In unison, the class sat back down. "Welcome to Math for Educators..." Ayame sighed quietly as the man got right into his lesson...

*********

Ayame's first class seemed to take forever. Her second class, however, seemed to breeze by. Now, she sat at a table outside eating a lunch of udon noodles she had prepared and packed with miso soup she had poured into a thermos.

"That doesn't seem like much of a lunch, does it?" Keiko said as she watched Ayame begin eating.

Ayame swallowed. "You're right!" She pulled out a large box full of onigiri she had also prepared. "I made several extra for you. Damn, I'm good at making onigiri!"

Keiko chuckled and pulled out her own prepared lunch box. "I don't know where Kazuma could be, it's not like him to miss a meal... Shizuru seems to be pushing him a lot though, maybe he's studying in the library."

"Mmbfmm." Ayame spoke with her mouth full and swallowed to ask another question. "What about Suichi?"

"Probably helping Kazuma if both of them are missing." The two finished their meals in relative silence from then. Once done, they began sharing stories of their first classes; giggling and gossiping their way through their lunch break.

From then, each class period seemed less and less intimidating as the day went on and by dusk the two girls had finished their classes. They walked back to their street together and said their good-byes as they went their separate ways. Deciding that the day had been too long to stay up late again, Ayame munched on a few leftover onigiri rolls and got to the work that had already been assigned.

*********

That same evening...

A blue-haired girl dressed in a bright pink kimono flew far above the city in search of a very specific house. Botan had an urgent message for the boys and she knew Koenma had already contacted Hiei and Kurama. Recognizing the building that Yusuke lived in, she flew down quickly and tapped on the window as she hovered outside it on an oar. Eventually, a rather sleepy, yet grumpy looking boy came and slammed open the window.

"Yusuke!" Botan wore a giant smile as she addressed the boy. "Koenma's invited you to a very prestigious, and urgent..."

"You mean the little brat has his hands full with rowdy and out-of-control demons who threaten to destroy the world again so he needs me to kill a few and stop them from doing so... Right?" As Spirit Detective, Yusuke was used to getting his hands dirty for Koenma. It seemed as if the little brat always had a new assignment for him.

"No rest for the weary, Yusuke! Now if you don't mind, I need you and Kuwabara to accompany me to Spirit World. I DID say it was urgent!" Botan was all too happy to boss Yusuke around. She maintained a very cheerful demeanor as she spoke.

Yusuke sighed, he had spent too many years going through the same routine with her. Botan loved to tease him with that smile of hers. She knew it ticked him off when she would deliver news with such a big grin and she got a kick out of it. He grumbled and turned around to make a phone call to Kuwabara who immediately picked up. "Hey dumbass" was Yusuke's greeting. "Let's go, the toddler has another job for us... Yes, idiot, you too. I didn't call you to tell you how much I love you." Yusuke hung up the phone and lay on his back in his bed to wait for Kuwabara's arrival so that they could leave for Spirit World and find out what Koenma deemed "urgent" this time.


	4. Emergency Meeting

Before I get into the actual story, I just need to apologize to my readers for taking so long on this chapter. You see, it has been years since I've really seen the show and it was actually a Teen Titans episode that inspired me to write this story! (Didn't think a YYH story would be inspired by TT eh?) So, before going into anything much farther, I decided to re-watch the series in order to be sure the characters weren't... well, out of character! It is rather important that all the original characters are accurately portrayed! I also wanted to be sure the facts in my story were consistent with that of the series.

As it turns out, I made an error when I started writing this story. For some stupid reason, I was under the impression that the whole series occurred within a year... Silly, right? Therefore, my story should fall five years from the BEGINNING of the series, so I will be readjusting my summary to reflect that.

**Disclaimer: blah blah blah, I don't own YYH, just my own characters... blah blah blah...**

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Once Kuwabara had made his way to Yusuke's home, Botan escorted the two boys to Spirit World. Now, they stepped inside Koenma's office to find Hiei and Kurama already standing inside. Koenma, in his toddler form, was sitting at his desk stamping papers.

"Thank you for joining us Yusuke." Koenma didn't look up from his stamping as he greeted them.

The four boys waited a few extra moments as Koenma eagerly finished the last few papers of an abnormally large stack he had been stamping. He put the papers down and stepped up, onto his desk with his arms folded behind his back. "Gentlemen, we have a dilemma." He pulled out a remote control and a large screen appeared in front of his desk. For a moment, nothing showed up on the screen, then the image of several humanoid silhouettes appeared, shadowed for their lack of identity. "A century old conflict between demons has been brought on us. Are you familiar with Spirit Shifters?"

"Can't say I've been acquainted with any." Yusuke responded.

Kurama was the one to continue Koenma's explanation. "They are a cunning breed of demon and can change into anything they want. The physical abilities of whatever form they take are enhanced a hundredfold. Of course, they cannot mimic an individual's abilities." He paused. "Hiei and I never had any personal experience with their kind. They are considered to be the vermin of demon world. They have been hunted to extinction, or so most demons believe."

"Correct, Kurama. They were hunted down to near extinction hundreds of years ago by The Hunters." Koenma was the one to speak again.

"That's a creative name." Yusuke piped up sarcastically.

"They aren't out to make a creative name for themselves, Yusuke. They are a collective group of higher class demons - elitists so to speak. Like Kurama said, Spirit Shifters were looked upon as vermin because of their shape-shifting abilities. Mimicking another's form isn't a highly revered talent. The Hunters sought to destroy them simply out of this belief."

"So if they're all dead, what's the problem?" was Yusuke's next response.

"I said they were hunted to _near_ extinction. We have reason to believe there is at least one unidentified Spirit Shifter remaining."

Kuwabara was the one to speak this time. "But if it's unidentified how do we know that there really is one left?"

"Spirit World intelligence has been monitoring the movements of the Hunters since they made their way into Human World. They're movements suggest they are searching. Besides..." Koenma looked up at the group ominously. "We discovered the bodies of two other **known** Spirit Shifters many years back near your beloved city. It was only recently that the Hunters became more impatient and started killing humans during their search."

"So why don't we just kill the shifter? Once it's dead the Hunters won't have any reason to 'cause any more problems, right?" Yusuke's simplistic analysis was always expected during a briefing and as always, Koenma was ready to correct him.

"It's a little more complicated than that, Yusuke. The Hunters are an elitist group, as I have mentioned, and their egotistical beliefs extend to humans too. To them, humans are even worse simply because they are human. As soon as their current goal is achieved, they will gladly move on to killing more humans. The ones they have already killed are just the start of it."

"This is really getting old, Koenma. Why is it that every demon has a burning desire to kill all humans? And why are they all powerful enough to be an actual threat?!" Yusuke spat on the ground. "So, exactly how strong are these jerks?"

"Our sources indicate that each possess the strength of S class apparitions."

Yusuke's jaw fell open at the news. "_S_ class?!?!" He burst out. "I thought the barrier the idiots from Spirit World put up was supposed to keep anything above a B class from getting into human world! How the hell have you guys missed this?"

"My father doesn't yet know of this case which is why the SDF hasn't been mobilized yet. However it's only a matter of time before dear-ol'-daddy gets the news. After the Sensui incident, I've been slowly rebuilding his trust in us. It took me months to convince him that you weren't a threat to human world and that, despite your demon blood, you staying on board as Spirit Detective is what's best for the humans. The situation is very delicate and if this case isn't taken care of soon you won't have a job to return to at all."

"You aren't listening to me, pacifier-breath. How did you idiots let several _S_ class demons get passed the barrier and into human world?!" Yusuke's frustration had caused him to raise his voice to a yelling level as he spoke to Koenma.

"We believe they snuck through the tunnel Sensui dug to demon world before the SDF had a chance to get there. Once the barrier was erected again, there is no other way they could have gotten through the barrier."

Kuwabara spoke up this time. "Wait a minute guys, I thought S class demons were supposed to be monstrous. And if they've got so much power, why haven't we seen them or felt their energies?"

Kurama replied. "Classes are assigned to reflect a demon's true strength, not their size. S class demons have monstrous _strength_ and their bodies usually grow to reflect that power. However, that is not always the case. We have all grown exponentially in the last several years and as you can see, Hiei remains as small in stature as ever."

Hiei growled angrily as the rest of the room broke out laughing at Kurama's joke. "Damn it, fox. You're treading on thin ice." He spoke through gritted teeth.

"What's that, little man? I couldn't quite hear you from up here." Kuwabara was all too happy to join in the fun. Hiei didn't waste any time in punching him over the head. But as Kuwabara recovered and was about to retaliate, Koenma interrupted.

"That's enough guys." He hadn't joined in the laughter. "This is a very serious case and I need you four to be on the lookout. There are at least five demons you will have to worry about, maybe more; each with hundreds of years of experience on you. You must fight and defeat them all to prevent them from killing anymore people. Hiei, Kurama, Kuwabara - I would like the three of you to assist him as best you can. It doesn't matter whether you kill the Spirit Shifter in the process, but the Hunters must be destroyed before they can cause any more harm."

"Hiei and I have been tracking several demonic energies that belong to Hunters. In any case, we know where to start our search." Kurama spoke up this time. He withheld the information about the Spirit Shifter he and Hiei had discussed not long ago.

"Very good, Kurama. Do as you must, but stop those demons at any cost. Remember, this is a very delicate case. You must be swift in taking care of them." Koenma motioned for the four of them to leave and heaved a great sigh as the room emptied.

*********

Upon returning to the Human World, Hiei immediately departed without a word and the three remaining boys walked side-by-side on the deserted sidewalk. It was still late in the evening and no one was around. Even the usual gangs who patrolled the streets seemed to disappear over the course of the last week but Yusuke and Kuwabara took no notice of this.

"You told Koenma that you and Hiei had been tracking several demonic energies. Is that right, Kurama?" Yusuke was the one to break the silence.

"Yes. We were quick to pick up on their energies. However, I would never have guessed them to be of the S class. It seems they can hide their power well. It will make them more difficult to locate."

"Well, that's great..." Yusuke brought his arms up and behind his head as he walked.

"I said difficult, not impossible. It's extremely tricky to hide so much power, especially since they're S class. Lower class demons can get away with it more easily if they're skilled enough. Usually, however, they are not."

Kurama made no mention of the girl he concluded was the shifter they were told about. He suggested they continue to monitor the other energies since looking for a demon who could transform into just about anything it desired would prove more difficult. "It would be suicidal to attempt to face our enemy right now while we know nothing of them. I will attempt to learn as much as possible before we engage them."

"Right..." Yusuke said as Kuwabara nodded his understanding. They had both learned to trust when Kurama knew it was best to sit back and analyze the enemy before rushing headlong into the fight.

"Until then, go about your normal routine and remain cautious. They are probably already aware of our presence because of the incident with Sensui. No doubt they have labeled us as a threat to their cause and will seek us out in due time." From there, the boys went their separate ways; Yusuke and Kuwabara returning home. Kurama, meanwhile, decided to do some more research and headed to the park where he knew he'd encounter the Spirit Shifter.

*********

Kurama's trip to the park took no more than a few minutes and upon arriving he hid among the many trees surrounding a large clearing. There, he saw a small girl at a stand-off with two taller boys. She looked delighted despite the circumstances and the two appeared furious.

"You guys are beginning to waste my time." She taunted. "It's the same crap every night. You guys try to jump me, fail miserably and then lose in open combat with me. Y'think you could try something different for a change?" Her expression suddenly changed to one of curiosity. "So where's your third pal?"

Kurama suddenly became aware of a third person running up behind her with a knife drawn. He was surprised he hadn't noticed such an obvious trap but before he could react she had already ducked under his slash and came up facing the ambusher. The attacker suddenly looked frightened as she jumped up and smashed her right knee into his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. When she landed, each of the other two boys grabbed her arms and held her with a strong grip.

"You're not going anywhere now, missy. We don't take kindly to little girls taking over our territory."

"You idiots don't get it, I've never been interested in your stupid territories. You simply lost ownership of it when I kicked your asses the first time." With that, she dropped down, throwing a back kick into the right man's kidney. When he let go of her arm, she gripped the left boy's arm with her own left arm and heaved him closer, folding the arm so that she hit him in the face with her left elbow as he stumbled into her. As he fell unconscious, the other kid recovered and lunged at her. However, the girl was prepared and dodged the attack only to counter with a swift kick to his head. The kick was powerful enough to knock him unconscious and she relaxed as he fell still before her.

Staring over her three fallen adversaries, she said "they learn a new, dirty trick every time I face them." Kurama watched as she turned and left the park. He noticed that her demonic energy was sloppy and very weak. _There's no point in encountering her tonight_, he thought. _She may be capable of more than we're giving her credit for. For now, I will continue to monitor her._ He retreated from the park and made his way home silently where he pondered the new case silently.


	5. Revelation

Oh my! It's been a few years since I've updated, huh? So long, in fact, I had to reread my own story to remember what my plans for it were! It's funny how life changes so much. I hope I still have some followers after this length of time.

That being said, I really enjoyed this story and I want to get back to it. I want to complete it and I will be working my darndest to do so. I noticed a few mistakes in a couple chapters prior to this, but due to the fact that they are so minor in nature, I left them as is. I hope no one thinks less of my engrish skills for it!

But enough of this banter. I'm sure you're eager to read more.

**Disclaimer: Don't own... YYH... Not mine...**

* * *

As the days went by, school was becoming increasingly demanding for Kurama and time only permitted him to do any scouting during the evening hours. He did notice, though, that the girl's nightly brawls were occurring less frequently. In fact, she didn't show up for a week once.

Kurama soon began to focus his attention more on seeking out the Hunters that were lurking. For all of his efforts, however, he was only able to sense one individual's energy, and even that he could not accurately measure nor was he ever successful in finding said demon. He even spent his free time between classes searching the city with Hiei, but to no avail. Whoever it was, they were determined not to be found until _they_ decided it was the right time.

* * *

"Hey, Keiko. I really wanted to thank you for giving me a job in your family's restaurant. I know I've got a full ride to the University, but I couldn't help thinking I'd be on the street fairly soon if I couldn't pay my rent." Ayame smiled at her friend as they made their way from the train station to the Yukimura family restaurant.

"Oh, it's no big deal. My dad could really use the help." Keiko smiled back. Over the last few weeks, the two girls had grown to be close friends and spent most evenings studying for their first, upcoming exam. "I hope you don't mind, I had plans with Yusuke this evening so I won't be able to study with you tonight."

Ayame frowned. "A week before our first big exam? Are you going to let a boy bring your grades down? Tsk tsk tsk! You know better than that, Miss Keiko!" She grinned as Keiko suppressed a giggle. "Go enjoy yourself, girl. You've been working real hard. Don't worry about me, I'll probably just work on that paper I have in my first class."

As they neared the last corner to their street, Ayame caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Four large boys stepped out from around the corner ahead of them and blocked their path. The girls stopped, their eyes widened with fear. These same boys consistently, and without fail, jumped Ayame in the park for their usual four-on-one brawl.

"Who... Who are you? What do you want?" Keiko stammered, taking a step back.

But none of the boys responded. In fact, they looked even dumber than usual. They were all pale and their eyes empty.

_Why here?_ _I've warned them about involving other people._ Ayame had no plans to explain to her new friend that she had a violent streak. Grabbing Keiko's wrist, Ayame turned and led her down a different side street, hoping her memory of the new neighborhood wouldn't fail her now. "We have to get inside, find some help." She glanced back to see if the boys had followed. Sure enough, they were hot on the girls' trail and were even catching up.

Keiko tried to keep up, but was obviously not as fast as her friend. She was already panting hard and Ayame knew she might have to stop if they didn't find a safe route home first. "I think Mr. Hakashi lives h..." Keiko was cut off as one of the boys dived for her ankle and knocked her to the ground. She let out a shrill scream as she fell, but hit her head on the concrete, knocking her out.

Ayame had turned when she lost her grip on Keiko and was looking much more furious now that Keiko was unconscious. Before she started towards the boy gripping Keiko, she felt the wind whirl past her. Suddenly, the one boy flew back off Keiko and into the brick wall behind him and where he had been, a fifth boy stood.

"You dumbasses better keep your filthy claws off her. I don't really like it when your kind threatens my girlfriend!" He stood straight, not really taking any fighting stances. It made him look more confident, like he didn't need to try to defend himself from these punks.

Ayame stepped forward and turned Keiko to inspect her. She had only received a bump on the head. Ayame then looked up at the boy. He had short black, greased-back hair and wore a simple t-shirt with a pair of jeans. _Girlfriend?_ This must be that Yusuke kid Keiko was always going on about.

"Is she okay?" He asked more gently, looking back at the unconscious Keiko.

"Yeah. She just bumped her head." Ayame looked past him at the boys who were starting to charge him. "Be careful!" she cried.

Yusuke continued to look at her. "As soon as I'm done here, you have some explaining to do." He frowned.

"Guard yourself first, dumbass!" She screamed.

But Yusuke had already deflected the knife the first boy had tried to thrust through his side with a flick of his wrist. As he did so, he brought his knee up to meet the first's chin, knocking him up and back several feet. Unfazed by the first boy's failure, the second charged forward, and was met by Yusuke's fist, sending him into the brick wall next to the boy that had grabbed Keiko. The fourth boy had not charged, however. Instead, he held a small gun, pointed at Yusuke's heart. "Is it a good old' western quick-draw match we're going to have here then?" He taunted, bringing up his finger and pointing it at the fourth boy.

"What are you doing?" Ayame screamed. "Run!"

As she screamed, Yusuke's finger glowed blue, then fired a small beam at the other boy who had fired his gun. The beam went through the gun's bullet, knocking it off course, and into the boy's chest. The impact of the beam knocked the boy over and unconscious.

Ayame's mouth remained open, not really knowing how to react to what she just witnessed. She could not comprehend it, could not wrap her mind around it. People didn't just shoot bullets from their fingers. It was like some weird sci-fi movie turned reality. Yet, this boy had done just that. _What the Hell is happening here?_ She thought as Yusuke turned to face her. Ayame stood up and backed a step away from the boy. "What the Hell was that?" She asked. She struggled to keep her voice level, fearing raising it might upset him.

"Don't play dumb with me, you stupid demon." Yusuke grabbed Ayame's upper arm. "I know your bit. It's the same with all of you; gain an innocent person's trust then eat them."

Ayame raised an eyebrow at his strange insult. "_Demon_? I've been called 'witch' before, but 'demon'? That's a little harsh, don't you think? Secondly, I hardly think you have to worry about your girlfriend cheating on you with another woman. Neither one of us are interested in that sort of relationship." She tried to back away from him further, but Yusuke retained his grip.

"You better watch that smart mouth and tell me what the Hell you were planning on doing with Keiko?"

Yusuke was obviously losing his temper and talking clearly wasn't getting anywhere with him. She brought her right arm up, knocking his hand off her arm and simultaneously brought her left leg up to kick him in the stomach from this close range.

But Yusuke had other plans. He allowed her to parry his hand off her, but side-stepped the incoming kick. Smirking, he took a step forward and grabbed her leg so she was forced to balance on her right foot. "Finally showing your true colors, huh? Good, because it's about time I closed this case." He lifted his hand and pointed his finger into her face.

Ayame had nearly forgotten about this move, the strange insults he had thrown at her before really distracted her from what she had just witnessed. Now, he was threatening to do the same thing to her. Before her eyes, she could see a ball of light start to grow at his fingertip.

"Spirit gun." He said quietly, as if it were only meant for her to hear. The light left his fingertips. Ayame was blinded by it as it flew straight for her face.

And missed, but not without first scratching her left cheek. The beam shot passed her and into the brick wall behind her, resulting in a large hole that a man could step through.

Ayame stared ahead of her in disbelief. Disbelief that this was happening _again_. Disbelief that he had tried to use this unconceivable trick on her. Disbelief that somehow she had survived a point-blank shot. Yet, as her eyes began to focus once more, she was able to identify the reason.

Yusuke was no longer holding her leg. In fact, somehow she was now on the ground looking up at the back of a taller, redheaded boy that stood between her and Yusuke.

"Calm yourself, Yusuke. You should have more sense than to kill an innocent person." His voice was mellow, smooth, rich. She shivered at the sound.

"Person? Listen, Kurama. I've gained a lot of experience these last couple years. Enough to figure out that this is no person." Yusuke looked past Kurama at Ayame on the floor. "I thought you would be the one to back me up on this. Any dumbass with spirit awareness would be able to tell, the way she's leaking demon energy."

"Hear me out." The red-haired boy, Kurama as Ayame presumed, stepped back to form a triangle between the three of them. He offered a hand to her then and helped her to her feet as Yusuke knelt to check on the unconscious Keiko. "Do you recall our first meeting, Yusuke? Hiei and I had stolen a few artifacts with the help of another, low-class demon."

"I sure do, nearly killed yourself with that mirror. What's that got to do with anything?" Yusuke stood up again, seemingly satisfied that Keiko wasn't seriously injured.

"I had, by that time, obtained some new priorities here in the human world. Growing up in a human shell had changed me from the fox demon, Yoko Kurama." He gestured towards Ayame. "I believe this girl's circumstances are similar. She was raised under a human guise and led to believe she was human all these years. She has a family and dreams for the future.

The difference is that she is wholly demon while I am quite human. Nor does she know about her true nature. I have observed her over several weeks and believe that she is no threat to any human. She emanates this demonic energy so freely because she has no control over it. I have not intervened in her affairs because I believed her energy might lure out the Hunters we have been searching for. She may be naïve, but they are not. They are very capable of masking their energies and I have had no luck finding a single one."

Yusuke scrutinized her for a moment longer then sighed. "I trust your judgment, Kurama." He turned around and looked at the four boys slumped in the street behind them. "What about these guys? I also sensed some spirit energy from them but they're definitely not any stronger than the punks I'm used to fighting."

"Very perceptive of you." Kurama stepped forward to stand next to him. "Look closely, at the base of their skulls."

Behind them, Ayame strained to look for what Kurama was trying to show them. She could see a single silken thread glinting in the moonlight. The string was slack and it trailed from all four of the boys into an alley on the opposite side of the street.

"I believe this is our first clue in this case." Kurama continued. "I'm sure this is the work of one of the Hunters. Our enemy must have used the threads to channel his energy into these humans and direct them as puppets."

"That's cheery." Yusuke chimed. "How do you know it's a he?"

"I could smell him. Our master puppeteer was pursuing our Shifter here when you interrupted."

Ayame cleared her throat, causing both boys to turn to face her. "I would really appreciate it if you two wouldn't talk as if I'm not here. Unlike Keiko, I'm completely awake and aware that you're talking about me."

"Fair enough. Yusuke, why don't you care for Keiko? I'm sure she'd be much more comfortable in her own bed than on the asphalt." Kurama tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans and faced Ayame directly. "You deserve answers here. I'm sure you have plenty of questions based on our conversation."

Meanwhile, Yusuke bent over and picked up Keiko gently, cradling her in his arms as he turned to leave. "Be careful. One Hunter has already made their move." With that, Yusuke carried Keiko back home, which Ayame knew was only a few blocks away.

Ayame focused her gold eyes on Kurama as Yusuke disappeared around the corner. "Thank you" she said quietly.

Kurama raised an eyebrow.

"For saving my life," she continued. Ayame glanced over her shoulder at the smoking hole behind her and winced. "He nearly blew my head off with that crazy stunt."

"I'm sorry you two got off on the wrong foot."

Ayame focused her gaze on him once more. "I'm a lot smarter than you give me credit for. I feel like I'm about to be dragged into something and I have no choice about it. That boy, Yusuke, he called me a 'demon'. You did too, and then a 'shifter' and then something about energy..." She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "You know, it isn't exactly everyday lingo."

Kurama smiled. "I guess you could call it 'Spirit World jargon'." When Ayame looked at him even more confused, he chuckled. "How about I start from the beginning?"


End file.
